MIT EECS
Can large language models figure out the real world?
Back in the 17th century, German astronomer Johannes Kepler figured out the laws of motion that made it possible to accurately predict where our solar system’s planets would appear in the sky as they orbit the sun. But it wasn’t until decades later, when Isaac Newton formulated the universal laws of gravitation, that the underlying…
MIT researchers develop AI tool to improve flu vaccine strain selection
Every year, global health experts are faced with a high-stakes decision: Which influenza strains should go into the next seasonal vaccine? The choice must be made months in advance, long before flu season even begins, and it can often feel like a race against the clock. If the selected strains match those that circulate, the…
The unique, mathematical shortcuts language models use to predict dynamic scenarios
Let’s say you’re reading a story, or playing a game of chess. You may not have noticed, but each step of the way, your mind kept track of how the situation (or “state of the world”) was changing. You can imagine this as a sort of sequence of events list, which we use to update…
Envisioning a future where health care tech leaves some behind
Will the perfect storm of potentially life-changing, artificial intelligence-driven health care and the desire to increase profits through subscription models alienate vulnerable patients? For the third year in a row, MIT’s Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize asked students to describe, in 3,000 words or fewer, how advancements in computing could shape human society for the better…
A sounding board for strengthening the student experience
During his first year at MIT in 2021, Matthew Caren ’25 received an intriguing email inviting students to apply to become members of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing’s (SCC) Undergraduate Advisory Group (UAG). He immediately shot off an application. Caren is a jazz musician who majored in computer science and engineering, and minored in music…